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The trick to a great French onion soup is starting with good stock. French onion soup is usually made with beef stock. I've made delicious soup with stock from the leftover rib and chine bones of a rib roast. Another important element is the proper caramelization of the onions. Caramelizing onions take at least thirty minutes of slow cooking the onions over medium high heat. The browning, or caramelizing, of the onions brings out the sweetness in them.

INGREDIENTS :

6 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced.

Olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups of beef stock, chicken stock, or a combination of the two (traditionally the soup is made with beef stock)

In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes (or longer). Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.

Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, vermouth or wine, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.

To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.

This soup is easy to make, and there is not much you can do to mess it up. Just watch the onions when you're browning them to be sure they don't burn.

Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat.

Add the onions to the hot pot and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should become soft but not yet browned.

Add the sugar, salt, and pepper, and continue cooking for about 20 minutes. Stir frequently and lower the heat if necessary to avoid burning the onions. They should be golden brown and soft. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. (The onions should be fairly sweet at this point.)

Add the garlic and broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes. You can keep the soup warm on the stove until ready to broil and serve, or allow it to cool and keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

When ready to serve, heat the broiler and ladle the soup into individual oven-safe bowls.

Top each bowl with a layer of bread, trimming slices if necessary to cover the entire surface.

Cover the bread with the cheese. (Use sliced cheese and let it hang over the edges if you want the traditional messy French onion soup look and you don't mind scraping melted cheese off your bowls for hours later.)

Heat under the broiler until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

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INGREDIENTS :

1/2 pound Cooked Ham, diced

2 (16 ounces) bag Split Peas, rinsed

2 large Carrots, coarsely chopped

2 large Celery stalks, chopped

1 large Onion, coarsely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

10 cups Chicken Stock

1 Bay Leaf

1 teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves

1/2 teaspoon Coarse Salt

METHOD :

Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy stockpot.

Bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to low.

Cover, cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or until the vegetables are very tender, adding up to 2 cups more broth if necessary.

Season with salt, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition.

Melt butter or margarine in a 4 quart saucepan. Stir in sugar. Cook onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Stir in flour until well blended with the onions and pan juices. Add water, wine, and beef broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover soup, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut four 1 inch thick slices of bread from the loaf. Toast the bread slices at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) just until browned, about 10 minutes. Reserve the remaining bread to serve with the soup.

Ladle soup into four 12 ounce, oven-safe bowls. Place 1 slice toasted bread on top of the soup in each bowl. Fold Swiss cheese slices, and fit onto toasted bread slices. Place soup bowls on a cookie sheet for easier handling.

Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or just until cheese is melted

Melt butter with oil in large soup pot - add sliced onions and stir to coat ~ cover pot and cook over moderately low heat for 15 - 20 minutes - stirring occasionally until onions are tender and translucent. Uncover pot and raise heat to moderately high - stir in salt and sugar (sugar carmelizes and helps onions to brown) - cook about 30 minutes - stirring frequently until onions have turned an even deep golden brown. Lower heat to moderate - stir in flour and add a bit more butter if flour does not absorb into a paste with the onions. Cook slowly, stirring constantly for 12 minutes to brown flour lightly. Remove from heat - pour about 1 cup of warmed consomme into onion/flour mixture to blend flour and consomme - add rest of consomme, water, wine, bay leaf and sage - bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly for 30 - 40 minutes. If you are not serving right away, let cool, uncovered, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat when ready to serve - place in ovenproof soup bowls - top with a slice of toasted french bread, shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Place under broiler to melt cheeses until bubbly.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the bones on a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and brush with the tomato paste. Lay the vegetables over the bones. Return to the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Place the pan on the stove and deglaze with the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan for browned particles. Put this mixture in a large stock pot. Add the peppercorns, garlic, and herbs. Season with salt. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 4 hours. Remove from the heat and skim off any fat that has risen to the surface. Strain the liquid and discard the bones.

Melt the butter in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions and season with 1 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper. Reduce the heat to low. Press a piece of foil onto the onions to cover them completely, cover the pot with a lid, and cook, stirring occasionally (you will have to lift the foil), until the onions are very soft but not falling apart, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the lid and foil, raise the heat to medium high, and stir in the sugar. Cook, stirring often, until very deeply browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the croûtes (baguette toasts), position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the baguette slices on the sheet in a single layer. Bake until the bread is crisp and lightly browned, turning once, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

Add the broth and bay leaf to the caramelized onions and bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Discard the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, position a rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Put 6 to 8 broilerproof soup bowls or crocks on a baking sheet. Put 2 or 3 croûtes in each bowl and ladle the hot soup on top. Sprinkle with the cheese and broil until the top is browned and bubbly, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Stir in wine if desired. Place slice of toasted French bread in soup bowl. Pour hot soup over toast, then top with cheese. Place under preheated broiler for a few minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.